Its Foreign Ministry said Moscow is “receiving urgent requests from individuals and organizations based in the conflict zone in the eastern Ukrainian regions, where hostilities led to human casualties and multiple injuries, asking to provide immediate humanitarian aid, primarily medications and medicinal drugs.”

“Given the emergency nature of the current situation, (it wants) the swiftest possible reply from the Ukrainian side.”

“It was emphasized that the Russian side is ready to provide the population in these regions with the required assistance and therefore proposes to the Ukrainian side that necessary measures be taken within the shortest possible period to ensure the immediate delivery of Russian humanitarian aid to the regions affected by the conflict.”

“Specific itineraries and transportation conditions for such humanitarian aid…could be agreed upon on a routine basis between the relevant Russian and Ukrainian government departments,” it stressed.

On May 28, RT International headlined “Reports of shooting in Donetsk, as city braces for third day of fighting.”

“In terms of the events over the weekend or the reports of violence, we certainly have been watching those events closely.”

“We remain concerned about the actions of Russian separatists against civilians in eastern Ukraine.”

“We support the efforts of the Government of Ukraine to maintain calm and take steps to maintain order in their own country, and we remain in close contact with them as well.”

A follow-up question asked:

“Well, so you believe that this violence is the responsibility entirely of pro-Russian separatists?”

“Is that – I mean, do you have any words of caution or advice of restraint to the Ukrainian Government?”

Psaki: “Well, certainly to all parties. But I would remind you – and obviously there are a range of reports out there about events that have happened over the course of the past couple of days.”

“There are some involving the airport. There are some involving the fact that a special monitoring mission is missing.”

“So there are a range of different reports, different – and I guess I could speak to all of those.”

“But my point I was making is that the Ukrainian Government and the Ukrainian authorities have every right to certainly take steps to maintain calm and order where they see fit.”

Question: “Right. But you don’t have any concerns about whether they are acting – that they’re going too far?”

“You don’t have any concern that – do you believe that everything the Ukrainian authorities have done to this point in trying to maintain law and order has been reasonable and appropriate?”

Psaki: “I’m not expressing a concern about the events over the course of the weekend, no, in terms of the Ukrainian authorities, no.”

Question: “So in the view of the State Department, view of the Administration, is that what is happening on the ground in the east right now, in Donetsk and other places where there are clashes, where there’s fighting, that is all the fault of the separatists?”

“They are the instigators?”

Psaki: “Obvious – they are – certainly, we believe they’re the instigators, yes.”

“And we believe – and I think there’s broad reporting on their involvement in what’s happening at the airport or what happened at the airport over the course of the weekend.”

Question: “Well, but there are a lot of reports from my news organization, from others as well, that this isn’t entirely one-sided, that – and I mean, the separatists – some of the separatists leaders say that they’ve been – that the Ukrainian authorities have been shooting at civilians.”

“But you don’t – you haven’t seen that?”

Psaki: “But that’s not where we are at this moment.”

Question: “(I)s there any evidence that Russia’s hand is still in – is part of any of this fighting that’s going on from the separatists’ side?

Psaki: “Well, I think there’s been evidence all along that there has been a Russian hand in the activities that have been happening on the ground, whether it’s the – how equipped the militants have been, what their equipped with, kind of a trend that we’ve seen from Crimea that has carried forth to parts of eastern Ukraine.”

So we’ve seen a great deal of evidence on the ground of their engagement.”

Question: “And today (Monday) Russian President Putin called for an immediate halt to the Ukraine’s military operations…”

“And he said that he called for Ukraine to talk to the Russian separatist leaders.”

“Would you support that kind of dialogue to try to resolve this? Or I mean, there’s a possibility this could just escalate, so how is the US seeing this being resolved?”

Psaki: “Well, as you know, our primary goal here has been de-escalation from the beginning.”

“But I would remind you that there are a range of calls that President Putin and others have been made that have not been backed up by action in terms of taking their own de-escalatory steps.”

“And we certainly feel there are a range of steps that they could take in order to show they’re going to back their words with action. We eagerly await that.”

“I would also point you to the fact that President-elect Poroshenko made clear that his number one priority after taking office will be to restore order in eastern Ukraine by increasing dialogue with citizens of that region, traveling to the area soon after his inauguration, increasing transparency of the ongoing constitutional reform process.”

“And so we believe that’s a positive step and the right approach to return stability to the area.”

Stephen Lendman was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. In 1956, he received a BA from Harvard University. Two years of US Army service followed, then an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. After working seven years as a marketing research analyst, he joined the Lendman Group family business in 1967. He remained there until retiring at year end 1999. Writing on major world and national issues began in summer 2005. In early 2007, radio hosting followed. Lendman now hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award recipient.

About Stephen

Stephen Lendman was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. In 1956, he received a BA from Harvard University. Two years of US Army service followed, then an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. After working seven years as a marketing research analyst, he joined the Lendman Group family business in 1967.